pendleton



' (No Model) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. H; PENDLETON.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 387,996. Patented Afig. 14, 1888..

N. PETERS PhMoLikhognphur. Washington. DC.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

J-NH. PENDLETON GRI'PPING DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

(No Model) No. 387,996. Patented Aug. 14. 1888.

N PETERS. PboloLhhuMr. Washing'vrl. D.C.

NITED' STATES PATENT Ormcr.

JOHN H. PENDLETON, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAPID TRANSIT CABLECOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILWAY S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,996, dated August14, 1888.

\ Application filed April 13, 1887. Renewed June 13. 1888. Serial No.276,936. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. PENDLETON, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in GrippingDevices for Cable Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to pump into a reservoir atmospheric airas the car is drawn alongby an underground traction-cable, and

to then to make use of the'compressed air in operating the grip forgrasping or releasing the cable, and to stop the car by the action ofpumps that also force air into the reservoir, the atmospheric pressurebecoming a resist- I 5 ance to the pumps, that receive their motion fromthe wheels; and I also make use of an airengine in which the atmosphereunder pressure operates to revolve the wheels and start the car previousto gripping the cable, so that the Wear upon the grip will be reduced toa minimum.

In the drawings, Figurel isadiagrammatic plan view representing thepositions of the air-cylinders,reservoir-cocks, and pipes. Fig.

2 is a cross-section representing the grip, the tunnel, and the tractioncable. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of one of the four way cocks. Fig.4 is an elevation of the gear-shifting device. Fig. 5 is a plan vieweorrespondo ing in position to the parts shown in Fig. 1, except thatthe pipes and cooks are omitted for greater clearness,and portions ofthe gearing are in section. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe parts contained in Fig.

5 5; and Fig. 7 is a cross-section ot'the frame and crank-shaft torepresent the positions of the air-cylinders.

The dotted lines A, Figs. 1 and 5, indicate the outline of the car andplatforms, and a 0 portion of the car is shown in Fig. 6, and myimprovements are especially available with ordinary street-carssupported on four wheels, B B. The journal-boxes for these wheels may beof any ordinary character and are notshown in the drawings.

There is a quadrangular frame, 0, resting upon the axles b, and thisframe supports the air-pumps and devices hereinafter described, and thetraction cable D is represented as Within the tunnel E, and the lowerportion, F, of the gripping device is provided with rollers 2 at theends, and the upper jaw, F,

of the gripping device, suspended below the cross-bars O of the frame 0;and upon the lower portion of the grip F is a vertical plate, 5 3,between the hanging plates 4. 4., that support the upper part, F, of thegrip, and there is a screw, G, that acts upon a nut, 5, that is fastenedto the plate 3 to raise the same and grip the cable or the reverse; andthere is a worm-wheel,6,at the upper end of the screw G, and aworm-pinion,7,to act upon the same. The shaft H of this worm-pinion 7runs longitudinally of the car,and there are couplings 8 and 9 betweenthe shaft H and the end por- 6 tions, H, that are supported in bearings10 upon the under side of the car, so that the frame O and shaft H mayremain upon the axles of the wheel as the body of the car rises andfalls upon the car-springs; and there are bevel gear-wheels 1-1 andvertical shafts andhandles H at the ends of the car, by which the screwG can be operated by hand-power whenever desired in gripping orreleasing the cable or in dropping or picking up the same. 7

At K there is a reservoir of suitable size at tached to the under sideof the car, or it is preferable to have two such reservoirs, as shown,and suitablesafety-valves are provided to these reservoirs.

Upon the frame 0 is a suitable pump, L, actuated by an eccentric androd, 13, and this is in operation whenever the car is in motion, to pumpair through the pipe 14 into the reservoir K, to form a storage of airunder a suffi- 8 cient-high pressure forthe purposes hereinafter named.This pump should be provided with an automatic regulating device thatshuts off the admission of air when a given pressure is attained,thereby lessening the expenditure of 0 power. A pump of this characteris shown in my patent, No. 351,124, granted October 19, 1886.

Upon the axle Z; are the bevel-gears 2O 21, which are kept in place by acentral collar, 5 22, and the clutches 23 and 24 slide upon keys orfeathers upon such axle b, and there are levers 25 and 26 pivoted to thecrossbar C by which the respective friction-clutches 23 24 are broughtinto action and there is a 100 crank-shaft, N, with bevelgears 30 at theends thereof, gearing into the respective bevel-gears 20 21, and thelevers 25 and 26 are acted upon by the pistons in the aircylinders O 0,respectively. The parts just described are duplicated in connection withthe two axles b b, in order that the strain may be divided and powermade use of from'all four wheels; but if desired the gearing and leverscan be made useof with only one of the axles b.

It will now be understood that when the lever or levers 26 are made topress the clutches 24 against the bevel-gears 21 the rotation'of thecar-wheels B and axles b will revolve the crank-shaft N in onedirection, and that when the levers 25 are acted upon and the levers 26released the shaft N will be revolved in the other direction by thebevel gear-wheels; and to the crank-shaft N three pumps are connected,which pumps are preferably oscillating and supported by brackets fromthe frame 0 and cross-bars G and G The pump 1? is connected by the pipe31 to the pipe 14, and this pump 1? has a four-way cock, 32, that can beturned by the longitudinal rod 33 and one of the arms or levers 34 atthe end of the car. When this cock 32 is in one position, the air willbe drawn in and pumped through the pipes 31 and 14 into the reservoirsK. When the cook 32 is in the other position, air will discharge freelyfrom both ends of the pump and not pass into the pipe 31. The object ofthis pump P is to avail of the inertia of the car to pump air into thereservoirs K,and in so doing to stop the car by the resistance of theair under pressure acting in the pump 1?; hence whenthe car is to bestopped the grip is released and the cook 32 turned, so that therotation of the shaftN will cause the pump P to force 'air into thereservoir K and act as a brake, and in so doing the pressure of the airin the reservoir K is augmented.

The cylinders Q Q form an air engine or motor in starting the car. Theirpiston-rods are connected to the crank-shaft N ,and the cranks on thisshaft N are to be at right angles to each other, (see Fig. 7,) and thevalves of the cylinders Q Q are such that these cylinders Q Qact asair-engines to rotate the shaft N in one direction only whenever airunder pressure is admitted into such cylinders Q Q.

The pipes 6 connect the reservoirs K with the air-engines Q Q, and inthese pipes are the valves or cocks 42, so that the air can be turned onfrom either end of the car to set these airengines Q Qin motion, and theproperlevers,

' 25 or 26, are first moved to connect the bevelgearing and axles B bythe friction-clutches, so that when the air-engines Q Q commence tomove, they will revolve the wheels B in the proper direction and movethe car forward, and as the velocity of the car increases the screw G isrotated and the cable gripped. By this feature of my improvement the carcan be started gradually and receive the same speed, or nearly so, asthe cable before the cable is gripped, and there will not be any suddenor unpleasant jar upon the car or wear upon the cable, and should thecar be heavily loaded or upon an ascending grade the airengines Q Q canbe availed of to lessen the strain upon the cable. A

In order to operate the respective levers 25 and 26 by the air-cylindersO O, I connect the cylinders O by the pipes z',which extend from thefour-way cocks 40, and I connect the cylinders O by the pipes n,whichextend also to the cooks 40, and enter the same at the side opposite tothe pipes z, and from these cocks 40 the pipes 1' lead to the reservoirsK. Either cock 40 can be turned to admit air into the cylinders O, andinso doing the pressure will be relieved from the cylinders to admit airunder pressure through the pipes n into the cylinders O, and in so doingthe pressurein 0 will be relieved, or the cock 40 can be turned so as torelieve all the cylinders. O 0 from pressure by allowing the air underpressure to escape into the atmosphere at the opening in the four-waycook 40. By this means the bevelgear's 20 or 21 can be connected by therespective friction-clutches with the axles b, or the friction-clutchesmay be released, leaving the bevel-gears loose and disconnecting thecrank-shaft N from the axle b. By these means the air-engines Q Q can bemade to rotate the axle b in whatever direction is desired for movingthe car forward or backward, or the engines can be stopped and thegearing loosened so as to turn freely.

I make use of the air under pressure in the reservoir K to give motionto the worm-pinion 7. For this purpose I place on the crankshaft N afriction-wheel, S, preferably with V-shaped peripheral grooves, andthere are two friction-pinions, S S, geared together by the wheels 50and 56, and these friction pinions and wheels are in a swinging frame,T,

and there is an air -cylinder, U, supported upon the frame 0 and havingthe two pipes 1- pleading to the same above and below the piston, andthe piston-rod is connected to the swinging frame T. The four-waycocks41 are constructed similarly to the four-way cocks shown in Fig. 3, andthe pipes 51 lead from the same to the reservoirs K, so that by eitherof the four-way cocks 41 air under pressure can be admitted to move thepiston in the cylinder U either one way or the other way and swing theframe T, or the cock 41 can be turned so as to admit atmosphere freelyto both sides of the piston in the cylinder U and allow the parts tohang freely.

The friction-pinion S is upon the shaft H; hence when the air isadmitted to swing the lower end of the frame T upwardly thefriction-pinion S and the shaft H and worm-pinion 7 will be revolveddirectly from the crankshaft N; but when air is admitted to the otherside of the piston in the cylinder U and the frame T swung downwardlythe friction-pinion S is pressed into contact with the frictionwheel S,and the shaft H and worm-pinion are revolved in the opposite directionby the gearwheels 50 and 56, reversing the direction of rotation withoutthe direction of rotation of the shaft N being changed, thereby allowingfor the attendant clamping the cable by the grip or releasing the same,as may be required, and the motion taken from the revolving shaft Nbeing through the medium of frictional surfaces, one part will slideupon anotherwithout risk of injury should the air-pressure be continuedtoo long.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination,with the car wheels and axlesand a frame supported by the axles, of the vertical plates 3 4t 4, thegripping-jaws at thelowerends of the plates, the screw G, screwwheel,worm-pinion, and shaft for actuating the worm-pinion, the bevel-gearsand hand wheels or cranks, and the couplings, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination,with the cable and grip and the car wheels and axles,of a pump and a reservoir into which air is pumped, and frictionalgearing upon the axle by which the in ertia of the car in stopping isavailed of in compressing atmospheric air into the reservoir,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the traction-cable,

grip, car wheels and axles, of a reservoir containing air underpressure, an air-engine operated thereby, and mechanism connecting thesame with the axle, substantially as specified, whereby the air-engineis employed to start the car gradually before gripping the cable,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the cable, car wheels and axles upon a cablerailway, of a reservoir upon the car for holding air under pressure, apump for forcing air into the reservoir while the car is in motion, apump that is brought into action when the car is to be stopped, andmechanism connecting the pump with the axle, so that the resistance ofthe air in the pump overcomes the momentum of the car, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination, with the traction-cable, grip, car wheels and axle,of an air-reservoir, a pump operated from one of the axles for forcingair into the reservoir, bevel-gearing and frictional connections betweenthe same and the axle, a crankshaft connected with the bevel-gearing,and an air-pump that forces air into the reservoir, and serves also as abrake to stop the car, and a cock for bringing the air-pump into actionor disconnecting it, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the car wheels and axles, of bevel gearing anda shaft driven by the gearing, frictional connections between thebevel-gearing and the axle, levers and aircylinders, andair-reservoirand cockfor bringing into action either one of thefrictional connections between the gearing and the axle, substantiallyas specified.

7. The combination, with the car wheels and axles, of a reservoir forcontaining air under pressure, air-engine cylinders, the crank-shaft,and bevel-gearing between the same and the axle, a frictional connectionbetween the axle and gearing, and an air'cylinder, piston, and lever,and a pipe and cook to admit air from the reservoir and operate thefrictional connection thereby, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the cable and grip and the car wheels andaxles, of bevel-gearing and a frictional connection between the same andthe axles, an air-cylinder and lever to actuate the frictionalconnection, a screw pinion and wheel to actuate the gripping device, anda frictional connection for rotating the worm-pinion and gripping-screw,su bstantiall y as set forth. a

9. The combination, with the cable grip, the car wheel and axles, and africtionwheel revolved bya connection to the axle, of frictionpinionsgeared together, a swinging frame carrying the same, an air-reservoir,an air-cylinder and connecting-pipes, and a four-way cock, by which airunder pressure is caused to press one of the frictional pinions intocontact with the revolving friction-wheel, and thereby open or close thecablegrip, substantially as set forth.

J. H. PENDLETON.

W'itnesses:

Gno. T. PINOKNEY, CHAS. E. SMITH.

